Tuesday, August 9, 2016

To date, we haven't seen any kind of official statement about the closure here at 115 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue... (One former barista told Sprudge that "The location of the shop was never quite able to sustain the super premium coffee experience that it was set up to provide...")

That sentiment is echoed on a sidewalk chalkboard sign now set up inside the shop for passersby...

It reads:

"Time to quit drinking coffee, the sublime tastes of our myriad roasters cannot be made by Every Man or Woman or any 'Joe Coffee' on the block. Our 'More Stars Less Bucks' gift to NYC paid back in [hearts] many times over, but not in the old do-re-mi. Taste is the most important aspect of coffee and we were the only game in town."

Box Kite opened in December 2013. The UWS location of Box Kite remains open.

It's cool to think and believe certain things internally, we call this self-esteem, self-confidence etc. Such beliefs are usually best not broadcast to the world however, and for good reason. Leave it to other people to talk about how good you are etc.

As convenient as it seemed to have a coffee shop a few doors down from my apartment, it never seemed like a real business – just a place for a few pretentious douchebags to hang out with their friends and pretend to be a business.

With that bullshit farewell, I'll be happy to see them gone from the block. I hope they take that asshole who used to sit in their window with the laptop and unlit cigar.

Chock full o' shit. People open a business and expect everyone to fawn over them. Try hiring pleasant and knowledgeable people. Try not to be douchey. Make yourselves part of the community. Give a shit before it closes.

When Boxkite opened I was excited, as a local business owner to see someone deliver awesome coffees to the city I love. More great options are better for us all. Sadly, almost immediately Boxkite revealed itself to be a precious shop- great coffees prepared preciously- preciously slow and preciously pretentious. Not all the people involved in Boxkite led to this. There were good people that worked there, but it's very difficult to challenge the vision and personality of ownership. Hospitality has to be a focus for any service industry establishment and it has to be trained. Oddly enough this coffee shop existed not to serve the community it once asked to support it. Boxkite identified itself as a place only for the few people with elite tastebuds sophisticated enough for the coffees they served. Here's the point that all good business owners realize... Your business exists to meet the needs of the customers and when you stop meeting their needs or you disrespect them they leave and they don't come back. That's something to respect. Respect your community and embrace your people. Keep drinking coffee where you feel comfortable and are cherished. Go to Third Rail, Everyman Espresso, Joe, Abraço, go to fucking Mudd if you want just don't go anywhere that has management and staff that doesn't appreciate you.

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